The African Democrat - Cataloniahttp://africandemocrat.com/tags/catalonia
enCarles Puigdemont: This is not just about Catalonia. This is about democracy itselfhttp://africandemocrat.com/content/carles-puigdemont-not-just-about-catalonia-about-democracy-itself
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><figure class="clearfix field-item even"><img class="image-style-large" src="http://africandemocrat.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Retrat_oficial_del_President_Carles_Puigdemont_cropped_0.jpg?itok=xxJOxcjr" width="330" height="480" alt="" /></figure></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> </p>
<p>By Carles Puigdemont</p>
<p>Catalonia is right now the only territory in the European Union that has been denied the supreme law its citizens voted for; the parliament that its citizens elected; the president that this parliament elected; and the government that this president appointed in the exercise of his powers. Acting in an arbitrary, undemocratic, and in my view, unlawful manner, the Spanish state decided to dissolve the Catalan parliament in the middle of the legislative term, to dismiss the president and the Catalan government, to intervene in our self-government and the institutions that the Catalans have been building in our nation for centuries. It committed a brutal judicial offensive to bring about the mass imprisonment and criminalisation of candidates promoting political ideas that, just two years ago, obtained historically high levels of public support.</p>
<p>Today, the leaders of this democratic project stand accused of rebellion and face the severest punishment possible under the Spanish penal code – the same as for cases of terrorism or murder: 30 years in prison. The vice-president and seven Catalan government ministers have been in prison since last Thursday, as well as two Catalan civic leaders, while orders for the rest of the Catalan government to be detained have been issued. This is a colossal outrage that will have serious consequences.</p>
<p>Let us remember one key fact: in the elections of 27 September 2015, Junts pel Sí (Together for Yes), the undisputed winner, stood on a manifesto where it explicitly pledged to declare independence and to convene constituent elections. The voters who supported us knew at all times what our purpose was. Yet two years after those elections we are accused of sedition, conspiracy and rebellion for delivering on an electoral programme that we never concealed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It’s an odd conspiracy, one that receives the popular vote. The 2015 elections delivered a clear majority in favour of Catalan independence: 72 seats out of 135. Only 52 of the 135 seats went to candidates who explicitly rejected the idea of an independence referendum. Yet the legitimate Catalan government has now been outlawed, the Catalan parliament dissolved and a political agenda that has nothing to do with the will of the majority has been imposed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is why we will continue denouncing to the entire world the serious democratic shortcomings that are now evident in Spain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Surely, what must prevail is the will of the majority of the citizens and the respect for fundamental rights included in international treaties signed by the kingdom of Spain, and also incorporated into its constitution. What we have instead are two levels of democracy in Spain: you can be a pro-independence party, but only if you do not rule. You will be charged with rebellion if you comply with your electoral commitment. And if you are against independence but you lack a parliamentary force to govern, the almighty state will come to your defence.</p>
<p>The Spanish judicial system has its own, particularly serious, shortcomings. There is a clear lack of independence and neutrality, with the links between the judiciary and the government visible for all to see. Even at the procedural level, the legal cases against Catalan leaders contain so many irregularities that it is difficult to believe that the accused can rely on any formal guarantees.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The state has demonstrated its determination to strip public officials of their rights, and Spanish justice has been placed at the service of the government’s political agenda. No crime committed in the name of the unity of the country will ever be prosecuted: not the violations of the secrecy of postal correspondence, nor the repeated restrictions on the right to freedom of expression, the blocking of websites without judicial authorisation, arrests made without judicial order, nor the certification of a police brigade outside the law to illegally pursue pro-independence political leaders and the Spanish left.</p>
<p>In demonstrations convened by the governing party of Spain, ultra-right radical groups (direct heirs of the Franco regime, such as the Spanish Falange) have marched, some brandishing fascist banners and making Nazi salutes, while songs demanding my imprisonment and execution have been widely sung. The climate of hostility is summed up by the scream, “Go for them!” from many Spanish citizens as they cheered the police patrols from around the state deployed to prevent the 1 October referendum, an effort by land, sea and air that resembled a military campaign to occupy rebel territory.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Does anyone think that the sacked Catalan government can expect a fair and independent hearing, uninfluenced by political and media pressure? I do not. We will continue to seek the independence of Catalonia, and defend a model of society in which no one is afraid of the power of the state.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I have a duty to demand justice for all of us. Real justice. To bring light to all the dark areas in which the state is allowed to commit unacceptable abuses. And to do this we need to allow in scrutiny from abroad. This attention must above all serve to demand a political rather than judicial solution to the problem.</p>
<p>The Spanish state must honour what was said so many times in the years of terrorism: end violence and we can talk about everything. We, the supporters of Catalan independence, have never opted for violence – on the contrary. But now we find it was all a lie when we were told that everything was up for discussion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It may be uncomfortable for those who have given their uncritical and unconditional support to Mariano Rajoy’s government, but we will defend our rights to the end. Because we’re playing with much more than our personal futures: we’re playing with democracy itself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>• Carles Puigdemont became the 130th president of Catalonia in 2016</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Source: The Guardian, UK</p>
<p> </p>
</div></div></div><section class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</h2><ul class="field-items"><li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/carles-puigdemont">Carles Puigdemont</a></li><li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/catalonia">Catalonia</a></li><li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/democracy">Democracy</a></li></ul></section><section class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-datetime field-label-above view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Publish Date:&nbsp;</h2><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Thursday, 9 November 2017</span></div></div></section>Thu, 09 Nov 2017 18:14:38 +0000ezekwesiri1321 at http://africandemocrat.comhttp://africandemocrat.com/content/carles-puigdemont-not-just-about-catalonia-about-democracy-itself#comments‘For freedom and the republic’: Catalan leader urges independence parties to unite Deposed president Carles Puigdemont wants secessionist politicians to stand together in December election to create ‘second referendum’http://africandemocrat.com/content/%E2%80%98-freedom-and-republic%E2%80%99-catalan-leader-urges-independence-parties-unite-deposed-president
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><figure class="clearfix field-item even"><img class="image-style-large" src="http://africandemocrat.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Retrat_oficial_del_President_Carles_Puigdemont_cropped.jpg?itok=zYHTl_3f" width="330" height="480" alt="" /></figure></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden view-mode-rss"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>The Observer</p>
<p>‘For freedom and the republic’: Catalan leader urges independence parties to unite</p>
<p>Deposed president Carles Puigdemont wants secessionist politicians to stand together in December election to create ‘second referendum’</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Emma Graham-Harrison and Daniel Boffey</p>
<p>Saturday 4 November 2017 20.49 GMTLast modified on Saturday 4 November 2017 22.25 GMT</p>
<p>The ousted Catalan leader, Carles Puigdemont, has called for separatist parties across the political spectrum in Catalonia to form a united front in December’s regional elections, effectively turning the polls into a de facto referendum on his drive for independence.</p>
<p>Tweeting from self-imposed exile in Brussels, the deposed regional president on Saturday launched an online petition yesterday to establish a broad secessionist coalition, the day after Spain issued an international warrant for his arrest.</p>
<p>“It is the moment for all democrats to unite. For Catalonia, for the freedom of political prisoners, and for the republic,” he said, adding that the elections offered voters a decisive choice “between democracy and imposition”. By midday there were more than 30,000 signatures.</p>
<p>A fractious and ideologically diverse coalition of parties triggered the current crisis when they used a slim majority in the regional parliament to plan an illegal referendum on breaking away from Spain and then unilaterally declaring independence last month. If they can unite again and win back that majority in next month’s vote, it would be a huge setback for Madrid’s efforts to defuse the biggest constitutional challenge Spain has faced in nearly four decades.</p>
<p>The central government voted to suspend self-rule and take back control of Catalonia just minutes after the fleeting republic was declared in Barcelona on 27 October. The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, then set a new round of regional elections for the earliest legally possible date, 21 December.</p>
<p>It looked like an astute political move, allowing the central government to deflect accusations it was trampling on Catalan democracy, while sowing division among pro-independence parties. With a registration deadline of 7 Novemberthis Tuesday, they were immediately thrust into bitter disputes about whether they should take part in the election or not. Hardliners insisted that running candidates meant implicitly accepting Madrid’s authority and acknowledging that the Catalan republic had been stillborn. Moderates argued that sitting out the election meant losing both political authority and the government funds that are vital to their fight for a separate state.</p>
<p>But now all major parties have said they will take part, and there is a real chance that Rajoy could face another separatist parliament at Christmas. The latest polls suggest pro-independence parties could control the legislature again, if they are once more willing to put their battles with Madrid ahead of all other political priorities. The last separatist coalition brought together groups ranging from Puigdemont’s own centre-right party to the radical left CUP (Popular Unity Candidacy). The central government’s handling of the crisis has angered many in Catalonia, even those who do not support independence, and could bolster support for pro-independence parties.</p>
<p>A particular flashpoint has been the arrest and jailing of separatist leaders, including several members of Puigdemont’s cabinet. They could face charges for crimes including rebellion, sedition and embezzlement for their part in pushing for secession. The jailed politicians, who have mostly been denied bail ahead of trial on the grounds they are a flight risk, say their cases are political persecution. The ousted vice-president, Oriol Junqueras, shared a defiant message from his prison cell via Twitter: “We are never going to renounce freedom, even if the price is prison”. A lawyer for the prisoners went public with complaints of “humiliating” treatment, including strip searches.</p>
<p>Their imprisonment has prompted unease abroad, including among allies who have been broadly supportive of the Spanish government and critical of the Catalan independence movement. The Nobel peace prize winner and international negotiator Martti Ahtisaari is among those concerned. He condemned the separatists’ independence bid as a “stupid gamble” that had “caused problems for a lot of others”, but said Spain’s response was too aggressive. “Now there will be an election, and all of the members of Catalonia’s government that now have left the area have to be given the opportunity to take part [in the election] as a candidate,” he told the EU Observer website.</p>
<p>Puigdemont suggested he planned to take part from Brussels, telling a local TV channel: “I can run a campaign from anywhere in the world, as we are in living in a globalised world.” He had already signalled his intention to stay in Brussels as long as possible, retaining a defence lawyer and saying he believed the Spanish courts were politicised, although he has ruled out claiming political asylum.</p>
<p>Puigdemont also made a hollow-sounding promise that he would not seek to cause the Belgian prime minister further problems. “I will be careful about Belgian politics. I am not here to mix with Belgian politics nor to Belgianise Catalan politics,” he said.</p>
<p>The justice minister moved fast to distance the Belgian administration from the Catalan leader’s fate. Unlike other international extradition processes, the European arrest warrant (EAW) lies entirely in the hands of the courts, Koen Geens said. “The executive power does not play any role in the EAW procedure. Everything goes through direct contact between the justice authorities,” the Associated Press quoted him as saying.</p>
<p>Yet for all that the Belgian government has sought to depoliticise the issue, and insist that it is a matter for the independent judiciary, Puigdemont’s arrival has already stirred up domestic political tensions.</p>
<p>The prime minister, Charles Michel, was forced to reprimand his Flemish nationalist minister of migration and asylum, Theo Francken, after he suggested that it was not “unrealistic” to think that Puigdemont could be given political asylum in Belgium. Other MPs attacked him for undermining the country. “Mr Francken created the impression that he was in collusion,” said Olivier Maingain, the president of the francophone liberal party, DéFI, who added: “This will weaken the European role of Belgium.”</p>
<p>Source: The Guardian, UK</p>
<p> </p>
</div></div></div><section class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</h2><ul class="field-items"><li class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/catalonia">Catalonia</a></li><li class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/carles-puigdemont">Carles Puigdemont</a></li></ul></section><section class="field field-name-field-publish-date field-type-datetime field-label-above view-mode-rss"><h2 class="field-label">Publish Date:&nbsp;</h2><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Sunday, 5 November 2017</span></div></div></section>Sun, 05 Nov 2017 14:32:18 +0000ezekwesiri1318 at http://africandemocrat.comhttp://africandemocrat.com/content/%E2%80%98-freedom-and-republic%E2%80%99-catalan-leader-urges-independence-parties-unite-deposed-president#comments